I Can't
by Kaori Koriryu
Summary: Playing her Diamond, this gamer never thought anything bad could happen. She's never hacked, and doesn't believe in any of the old myths about the games. But she doesn't suspect anything about her strange Shinx, either- though that is all about to change.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, only the plot of this particular creepy pasta.**

~I Can't~

I picked up my DSi, switching it on. I had business on the particular game I was playing, Pokémon Diamond. For the longest time, my Shinx, Sparky, wouldn't evolve. He was up to level fifty now, and he hadn't even learned a single new move! I even tried using TMs and HMs, but they still wouldn't work. However, I was completely in love with the little Shinx. I had wanted one since I first encountered them in the game, but had never been able to catch one, for one reason or another.

I selected the continue file for Katyri, which was the name I used for all my Pokémon games. Sparky was at the front of my party. I walked into some long grass, just to get back into the swing of things, as I hadn't played for a little over a month and had only just gotten back into the game due to the new series, Pokémon Black and White.

Almost immediately a wild Peliper appeared, level fifty-two. So that was the route I was on, I remembered the Peliper only appeared here so far.

But when Sparky was sent out, I noticed something was wrong. His head and tail seemed to be drooping. I ignored it and selected 'Fight', then one of the moves Sparky had come with, Spark, which would be double effective against the Peliper because it was a flying and water type. I never questioned why he had this move when I got him, which was when he was only level five.

'Sparky used Spark!'

'The Wild Peliper was Electrocuted!'

"Electrocuted...?" I said out loud. How strange.

The Peliper gave a strangled cry as the paralyzed animation played, then sank into the ground. Text scrolled across the bottom, but it wasn't what usually popped up.

'Sparky was victorious!'

'Did Sparky impress you?'

There was a yes/no option. I clicked yes, because any one-hit KO was good with me. I didn't really think about what he had really done until later. All I could think was, "Wow, must be some kind of extra feature!"

'Sparky is happy that he impressed you!'

There was an upbeat Shinx cry, which I thought was adorable. I went out of the grass and moved over to see if there were any NPCs around. Turns out there was one of those girls that were supposed to be beauties right up a set of stairs. I walked up to her and talked to her, and all that she said was '... Please don't let him hurt my poor Pokémon!'

Then a battle started. The beauty was on the other side, and I was startled to see she looked a little scared. She threw out a Pokéball, and out came a Lopunny, which I didn't really remember anyone besides that guy in the Elite Four having, but oh well.

I picked Sparky's Bite move. The Lopunny on the other side went first, using Fire Punch.

'Lopunny tried to defend herself!'

'Sparky avoided the flames! Sparky used Bite!'

Something that looked like a Cut animation played over the Lopunny's neck.

'Sparky sank his fangs into the foe's Lopunny's neck!'

She gave a pitiful cry, her HP bar drained, and she sank into the ground. I wanted to celebrate, but now I was really getting freaked out.

'The foe's Lopunny was killed!'

'Sparky was victorious!'

'Did Sparky impress you?'

Again, there was a yes/no option. After a hesitation, I picked yes like before. It was just a game, right? Maybe when one of my friends came over for a sleepover they found my game and hacked it to do this while I was asleep.

'Sparky is happy that he impressed you!'

There was another happy Shinx cry, then a sadder one.

'I thought you didn't want me...'

There was another happy cry, then more text.

'But now I know you love me!'

Okay. So my Shinx was talking to me now, apparently. Okay. I'm fine. I'm not going crazy, I promised myself.

For the rest of the night I played the game, and Sparky didn't do anything else weird except give me a few more happy sounds when we won an especially hard battle. Then I noticed it was ten fifty-six. I saved the game and prepared to head off to bed. Then I heard a loud Shinx cry from the DSi. It sounded desperate. I picked it up again, and to my surprise a Shinx sprite was standing in the middle of an otherwise black screen. I just cut off the DSi, right?

'Are you leaving Sparky?'

Yes/no option again. I clicked yes.

'Why...?'

I sighed, hoping no one was listening. "I need to go to bed, Sparky. If I don't I might get really sick."

'... Sparky understands. He will see you tomorrow.'

There was one last Shinx cry, then the DSi just turned off. I frowned as I thought this was strange, but went off to prepare for bed.

I should've thrown out the game while I could.

The next day I woke up early for school. I couldn't stop thinking about Sparky all day and it got me in trouble numerous times. I didn't want to tell my friends, however, thinking they would burst out laughing at their sick joke.

The first thing I did was rush to my room and turn on the DSi, which I left charging nearly all the time. I switched it on and went right to the Diamond game.

"Sparky? You there?" I was positive I was going crazy. I was talking to a video game and a load of pixels.

'Sparky is happy that you're back!'

The happy Shinx cry played again. For some reason, I breathed a sigh of relief.

I trained Sparky until about six, when my mom wanted me to go out to eat with the family. By this time Sparky had gone to level fifty-six, and a few more strange things had happened.

But what freaked me out was what happened after dinner. I was playing through the Elites with Sparky again. The rest of my team was at or around level one hundred, I had just neglected Sparky for a while, then went back to train him later when I didn't NEED the strong Pokémon as bad.

Anyway, I was at Cynthia. She said something different from usual, however.

"That Shinx has been terrorizing the innocent of Sinnoh for far too long! You've let this get out of hand! We trusted the Shinx to you from the wild, thinking you could control his violent tendencies, but instead you've been encouraging him! He must be defeated now!"

... Violent tendencies? So... What Cynthia was saying...

I didn't have time to think it over any longer as the battle started and Sparky was thrown out. I sure didn't want him to do anything to Cynthia's Pokémon, so I went to the Pokémon menu and picked out my female Empoleon, Lora. But a warning flashed up.

'Sparky doesn't want to switch out! He wonders why you don't want him to battle!'

I gulped, looking up at the opponent.

_Garchomp! Not him!_

'Sparky is waiting for a command!'

Tentatively, I pressed Spark.

There was the familiar yellow flash from Sparky. Then the fainting animation for Garchomp, and I waited for the text box.

'... The foe's Garchomp was electrocuted! Sparky is victorious!'

The screen suddenly blacked out. What? Didn't Cynthia have five other Pokémon?

There was a flash of light. The room I was in was suddenly illuminated. It looked like some sort of old, broken down workshop. I quickly began running for the only door in the workshop, but right before I entered it, I was forced to stop moving.

There was a short pause, then text:

'Sparky: I love you! Thank you for loving me, too! Let's play!'

There was a yes/no option. I picked yes, too scared to find out what Sparky would do to me if I chose no.

'Sparky: Yay! Let's play tag!'

There was a flash of light from my character, then a pixel of Shinx appeared behind me.

'Sparky: Do you like where I took you? I grew up here! But someone killed my owners... Let's go to the next room!'

There was a sound like the game makes when you bump into something as Sparky appeared to tackle me through the door. The pause between rooms was filled with anxiety; then, horror blossomed in my heart like a terrible, thorny flower, and I was clutched with fear.

Two skeletons were in the middle of the room, lying on the floor. One had on a purple dress, the other the typical male veteran wear for the game. What appeared to be dried blood was all around the room, everywhere, sometimes in pawprints. It appeared we were in the middle of the forest; many of the house's boards and windows were broken, and giant, thorny vines poured into the room.

A sad Shinx cry startled me from my thoughts.

'Sparky: I was left alone... Scared...'

A yellow orb formed above Sparky. For a terrifying moment, I forgot that the game was just that, and I truly believed the lion cub would electrocute me, just like he did the others.

'Sparky: ... But now I'm alone with you. No one else to bother us. You're my perfect best friend! You love me!'

I remembered selecting yes for the question and cringed.

A voice came through the speakers. What? How was this entire thing possible?

"I love you too! I'll show you the flowers!"

Then the orb above Sparky sent lightning in all directions, hitting the thick, thorny vines curling into the room. Dark red, purple, and yellow flowers bloomed on the vines, but so did something that made my heart race.

The heads of my beloved Pokémon team, all except Sparky.

I resisted gagging. "No!" I managed to whisper, tears springing to my eyes as I saw Lora's head. I didn't care if it was a game, I had raised and loved those Pokémon. "No! Sparky, why?"

The voice from the speakers answered, sounding hurt. "We're alone now, so you can know my pain and we can be best friends. Don't you want that?"

"No, Sparky!" I answered, shaking my head. "No! You could've learned to get along... but..."

"You don't love me?"

The screen faded to black. Then a Sparky appeared, tears streaming from his eyes. "Do you love me?"

Yes/no again.

"I'm sorry Sparks," I whispered affectionately, using a nickname to soothe the rage I knew would come as I pushed two buttons.

There was an outraged Shinx cry. "I loved you! You were my only friend!"

I squeezed my eyes shut as the screech filled the room. "Please! Sparks, please understand!"

The shriek faded. Two words.

"I can't."

I opened my eyes to a blue screen.

'The file was corrupted. Will you start a new game now?'

My heart still pounding, my finger went down to once again press 'no'.


End file.
